Australia is set to see an update in its occupational classifications this December. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has announced that the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) will be replaced by the Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA) from 6 December 2024.

Why the Change?

Australia’s and New Zealand’s labour markets have grown apart significantly over the years, necessitating a localised approach. The key drivers behind this transition include:

• Diverging labour markets: The gap between the Australian and New Zealand labour markets has widened since the joint classification was first introduced.
• Australia’s updates in recent years: Stats NZ has not participated in the 2021 and 2022 Australian updates, while Australia has undertaken a comprehensive review.
• Unique stakeholder demands: Both countries have identified different approaches to meet the needs of their respective labour markets.

What You Need to Know About OSCA

OSCA will be the new classification system that reflects Australia’s contemporary labour market, designed to better suit the needs of employers and industries in Australia. Although OSCA will take over in December, ANZSCO will still be available for reference on the ABS website for those who need it.

At this stage, it appears Home Affairs occupation lists which are based on ANZSCO/OSCA are not set to change. The introduction of the Skills in Demand visa has been tabled for now, with a view to introducing this visa scheme in early 2025.

In the interim, we will continue processing our TSS (Subclass 482) and ENS (Subclass 186) visas as usual.

Need Help? For guidance on how these new visa options may suit you, reach out to us at [email protected]